Stationery-cabinet



W. H. SMYTHE.

STATIONERY CABINET. APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1920.

1,391,082. e fi p 20,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SMYTHE, OFWIN-THROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MARY B.

SMYTHE, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS. l

STATIONERY-CABINET.

Application med rn a,

To all whom it may concern a specification.

This invention relates to means for holding writing paper and envelops in such manner as to renderthe sheets and envelops easily accessible one at a time.

It is-well known that in such places as clubs and hotel writing rooms it is customary to keep smallsupplies of stationery on the tables or'desks' for the useof members or guests, and it is a matter of common knowledge that many of the sheets and envelops become rumpled or dusty and otherwise unclean, and many are blownor get pushed oflf onto the floor. The result is a loss to the clubs or hotelsthro'ugh thewaste of paperwhich, usually, has been printed at considerable expense;

The principal object of this invention is to provide a strong and durable cabinet for holding envelops and writing paper in sanitary, smooth and clean condition, and from which. the articles can be removed singly,

with ease, and without disturbing the succeeding articles.

Another object is to provide at'device of this character which is'compact and attractive, and which may befastened to a desk or wall, and which can be readily stocked with fresh suppliesof stationery.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the cabinet constructed and arranged substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stationery cabinet embodying thefeatures of my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2. 7

Figs. 4 and 5 represent sections, on a larger scale, taken on lines 4 -4 and 5'5 respectively of Fig. 8.

The cabinet is made of any suitable sheet metal the various pieces of which are joined by brazing, or according to any other method not necessary to illustrate in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept.l20, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 370,928.

drawings, so as to provide an envelop. recepta'blelO and a sheet receptacle 11 access to both of which is obtained by a cover 12 hinged at 13. The back plate 14,- bottom or base 15 and side walls 16 of the cabinet as a whole, areielatively positioned-like portions of a rectangular boX. The front:how evercomprises an upper section 17, a lower section 18 of less height, and an intermediate upwardly and rearwardly curved section 19. Afpartition 20 between the receptacles 10 and 11 may be integral with the section 19. v V I The bottom 21 of receptacle 10 is cut away or formed with an opening 22 which preferably'has a shape substantially correspondingto the shape of the flap of an envelop.

The receptacle 11 is provided with. a. rear wall 23 curved to so correspond with the front section 519 as to provide a receptacle of substantially uniform transverse area The-curvature of the front and rear walls 7 of the receptacle 11 is such that substantially half or more of the height length of the sheets a therein will be curved forward toward the bottom of the receptacle. I

Extending acrossthe lower edge of the front section 19 is a narrow slit 24 which isrecessed at the middle to provide a finger opening 25.

The lower edge of the wall 23 is curved upwardly on a forward slant and terminates at the slit 24. This upwardly and forwardly inclined portion presents a sheet-deflecting surface 26'which serves partly to hold back the package of sheets 0 and partly to turn or deflect their lower edges toward the delivery slit 24. The general curvature of the receptacle 11 as a whole, keeping all of the sheets 0 therein curved substantially from bottom to top, coacts with the inclined portion 26 in preventing such free gravitation retarder, as best shown by comparing Figs.

1 and 5, projects slightly above the plane of the slit 24, and is in alinement with the V recess 25,.so that any top sheet having a tendency to slide freely out through slit 24. is arrested because its mid-width would have to be deflected out of alinement with the rest of its forward edge in order to pass the retarder. A finger or other friction member however, pressing down on the portion of the top which is on the retarder 27, is easily able to draw the sheet out. 7 It W111 now. be understood that the contents of the cabinet can be removed singly without the aid of any mechanical feeding device, and therefore there is nothing to get out .of order; Gravity alone insures an envelop :and a sheet being accessible for manual removal.

A single cover (12) keeps both compartments closed against access ofdust; Envelops are placed in compartment in such position that they will successively occupy the position indicated by dotted lines a b in Fig. 2, and the flap b of the lower one will drop 'sufliciently through opening 22 to enable that envelop to be drawn out.- v

The curved sections 19, 23, being rigidly connected with other sections 14, 15', 16" of the cabinet, impart strength to the whole as they constitute a truss-like portion connecting the top compartment with the base.

At the same time the curvature is not onan are which will result in the paper "sheets,

even when in the compartment for a long time, becoming so curled that they will not lay out flat for Writing thereon.

Of course advertisements may be borne by any portion of the cabinet. The curved surface of member 19 however presents an especially desirable location for advertise ments because a person applying a finger at to remove a sheet of paper can hardly fail to notice matter immediately above and curved front wall and" a. correspondingly curved'rear wall, the lower portion'of the p latter being inclinedwupwardly to a point closely adjacent the loweredge of the front wall, a narrow slit being provided at ,said

point, and a' rubber retarder extending higher than the lower edge of the slit, 'said front wall having a recess above said re-- tarder.

-In testimony whereof I have affixed signature.

' WIL IAMH. sMYT'HE. 

